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Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Our last Camino day: Teo to Santiago de Compostela

We boarded our London taxi again and were delivered to the spot where we were picked up yesterday. So, today's walk began around 10.15am. We followed fairly good quality trails up hill and down dale for a little while in rural and not so rural areas. I found the perfect stick this morning to help with my wearying hips, and used it just for the fun of it.

Don't stop now - we're very close to Santiago de Compostela, our destination.

Now that we're very close to Santiago, the distances to that city, normally displayed on these guide posts, appear to have been stolen.

We stopped for morning tea, and got chatting to these friendly Spanish and German people. One of the Spanish men spoke good English. He bought us each an orujo, a sweet tasting liqueur.

Here's one way to confuse a pilgrim. We chose to go left, and later found the route to be two kilometres longer. Whereas we'd left the Spanish and German folks way behind, we found them in front of us!

Our first sight of the Cathedral de Santiago - in the distance - came about 2.22 pm.

The Cathedral is very large. Here, we see only a portion.

Inside the Cathedral de Santiago, we queued to climb the few steps that led up behind a gilded model of St James, the apostle, who has stared down upon congregations throughout the centuries. Custom dictates that pilgrims put their arms round St James to have all one's sins forgiven. Everyone else did so, and although we're not Catholics, we followed suit.

I was told this was the sarcophagus of St James. I think many might disagree.

Outside the Cathedral.

This is our hotel for tonight, an old 14th century monastery, opposite the Cathedral.

We queued to gain our 'Compostelas', or certificates which pilgrims receive in Santiago to acknowledge completion of their Camino. The German couple behind us, on their honeymoon, had started theirs in Pamplona and taken 27 days to get here via a circuitous route, covering about 30 kilometres a day.